SUSE is opening the door to the world of open source software for students around the globe through the new SUSE Academic Program. SUSE is sharing no- or low-cost open source software, training curriculum, tools and support to help schools, universities, teaching hospitals and other academic organisations use, teach and develop open source software with their students. The curriculum includes courses for SUSE Linux Certified Administrator (SCA), among others.

“As the open source company, SUSE is readying teachers and students for the future with free access to our extensive knowledge of technology and software,” said Matthew Lee, Regional Manager for SUSE Africa. “The SUSE Academic Program is a simple way for qualifying academic institutions to experience the value of SUSE technology, training materials and customised offerings with no participation fee or minimum order requirement. We’re committed to helping schools with the tools and technology they need to prepare students for tomorrow.”

The SUSE Academic Program provides the following benefits to participating organisations:

·         Training materials for certified Linux and other courses for trainers and students.

·         Campus use of training materials for teaching students.

·         Purchase of SUSE products with special pricing, terms and conditions.

·         Access to SUSE tools and products for lab environments, software development or other education settings.

·         Access to the SUSE knowledge base, forums and support.

The program gives participating institutions free access to SUSE Training curriculum for both trainers and students, with rights to use the training curriculum across the campus for educational, non-commercial purposes. Along with access to training materials, SUSE provides free access to resources and open source tools for software development. SUSE also offers a beneficial buying program allowing participants to purchase SUSE products at the right level of support, with terms and conditions available to and priced for educational institutions only.

“There are many paths developers of the future can take to grow their skills in the art and science of software,” said Al Gillen, group vice president, Software Development and Open Source, IDC. “Academic institutions provide an important path for administrators- and developers-in-training. Programs designed to accelerate education like SUSE’s are essential for students at universities to learn about open source and have hands-on experience – including with enterprise-grade open source technologies. Investments like these will boost innovation and choice in the marketplace in coming years.”

For more about the SUSE Academic Program and its various offerings, including registration information, visit www.suse.com/academic.